“So tell me, o King, why was the power of that illusion lost to both the sanyasi and Candrasvāmin, even though Candrasvāmin did exactly everything that he was told to do?“
“Remember, if you know the answer, and don’t tell me the truth, your head will burst into a hundred pieces!“
एतत् स वेतालवचो निशम्य
तं प्रत्यवोचन् मनुजेन्द्रवीरः ।
जाने भवान् मे क्षिपतीह कालं
योगेश्वरैवं तद् अपि ब्रवीमि ॥ १२,२५.८४ ॥
न दुष्करेणापि हि कर्मणैव
शुद्धेन सिद्धिः पुरुषस्य लभ्या ।
यावन् न निष्क्रम्य विकल्पशुद्धं
धीरं मनो निर्मलसत्त्ववृत्ति ॥ १२,२५.८५ ॥
तस्यात्र मन्दस्य तु विप्रयूनश्
चित्तं प्रबुध्यापि विकल्पते स्म ।
विद्या न सा तेन गतास्य सिद्धिर्
अस्थानदानाच् च गुरोर् विनष्टा ॥ १२,२५.८६ ॥
इति तस्य नृपस्य सृष्टवाचो बत वेतालवरो ऽंसतः स भूयः ।
निजम् एव पदं ययाव् अलक्ष्यो नृपतिस् तं च तथैव सो ऽन्वयासीत् ॥ १२,२५.८७ ॥
King Vikram replied…
“Oh Yogeshwara, I know that you only want to waste my time with such questions, yet, I will answer you.”
“A man cannot be successful, even if he performs difficult task, unless purity of mind accompanies the effort.”
“More than the correctness of the task, one requires to employ unflinching courage, a resolve that doesn’t waver under any circumstance, and dedication.”
“Candrasvāmin performed all the tasks in the required manner, yet his mind was far from pure. His dedication was only so that he could enjoy the illusions that brought him the maiden, and not to put such power to more noble use.”
“His mind wavered even after he was woken up from the delusion…he had doubts and misgivings. And so, even though he successfully went through all the steps, he did not attain what he sought.”
“The sanyasi lost his powers, since he had attempted to bestow them on an undeserving aspirant.”
As the king uttered these words, the Vetāla flew off his shoulder, laughing. And King Vikram once more started to walk towards the banyan tree, determined to fetch him.
to be continued…